Jack Conway

Members of Vote Hemp and other groups are descending on the nation’s capital for Hemp Lobby Day to convince Congress to lift a federal ban on the plant for industrial use.

Earlier this year Kentucky lawmakers approved the research and cultivation of hemp, but it has yet to be implemented because the federal government still considers the crop a controlled substance.

The dilemma has pitted two potential gubernatorial candidates against one another: Hemp supporter and state Agricultural Commissioner James Comer, and Attorney General Jack Conway. Conway issued an opinion in September stating that under the federal ban, hemp remains illegal in the state.

“Sometimes it’s my job to say what the law is, not what I want the law to be," said the Attorney General. "I support industrial hemp, I think we can make it work. If it can create jobs, great. Now, is it the panacea for all of Kentucky’s agricultural woes? I don’t know.”

Kentucky's Attorney General continues to say he's strongly considering a run for governor.

Democrat Jack Conway was in south-central Kentucky Wednesday, addressing students and civic groups about issues including the state's prescription drug abuse problems.

After a speech to the Noon Rotary Club in Bowling Green, Conway told reporters there are other races that deserve the spotlight ahead of the 2015 gubernatorial election.

"With the Alison Lundergan Grimes campaign underway, they deserve a few quarters under their belt before a governor's race lands on top of them," Conway said. "But I would think that by the spring of next year, whoever's running for governor ought to be starting a fundraising operation to put together the resources necessary."

Grimes is challenging Republican Senator Mitch McConnell in next year's much-talked-about Kentucky Senate race. Conway told his Bowling Green audience that coal will continue to be an important source of energy for the region, and that the state must continue to step up its fight against prescription pill abuse.

Conway issued an advisory letter on Wednesday to Gov. Steve Beshear, Agriculture Commissioner James Comer and others to clarify current law related to hemp. The letter appears to deflate hopes of hemp farming proponents who have said they'd like to begin planting next year.

Kentucky lawmakers have passed legislation that would allow farmers to grow the crop if the federal government ever lifts a longstanding ban. But Attorney General Conway said that ban remains firmly in place.

The state agriculture department recently issued a news release saying it was instructed by the Kentucky Industrial Hemp Commission to begin drawing up regulations for hemp farming in the commonwealth. That came on the heels of comments by Justice Department officials that the federal government had no intention of prosecuting hemp farmers.

Calling it a "cynical effort" to profit from people who have died from drug abuse, top officials in three states have asked a boutique fashion company to cease selling T-shirts that feature the names of well-known prescription drugs.

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi along with the attorneys general of Kentucky and Maine this week sent a letter to Kitson Inc. criticizing the company for selling sport jersey type shirts with the drug names Vicodin, Xanax and Adderall written on the back.

An email to the company — which sells items online and at stores in California — was not immediately returned.

But in a statement posted on the company's Facebook page following a discussion about the shirts on NBC, Kitson contends that the T-shirts are helping create a dialogue about drug abuse.

Two of Kentucky's elected leaders are joining their peers in asking a national clothing retailer to stop selling questionable pint and shot glasses.

Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway and U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers of Somerset are asking retailer Urban Outfitters to stop selling an array of pint glasses, shot glasses and flasks that are made to look like prescription pill bottles.

The two men have consistently fought for laws to reduce Kentucky's prescription pill epidemic on both the state and federal levels.

In a news release, Conway said the fact that the retailer, which is known for selling ", is encouraging the mixture of alcohol and pills by their branding is even more disturbing.

Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway says there is “a good chance” he will run for governor in 2015. Conway has often been mentioned as a possible Democratic candidate to take over the governor’s mansion from two-term incumbent Steve Beshear.

In an interview this week with the editorial board of The Courier-Journal, the 43-year-old Conway also repeated his previous statements that he won’t challenge U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell next year.

Conway, who is finishing his second term as Attorney General, said he won’t “defer to anybody” when making a decision whether or not to run for governor. Other Democrats who have expressed interest in the gubernatorial contest are former state Auditor Crit Luallen, current auditor Adam Edelen, Lt. Gov. Jerry Abramson, and former Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo.

On the GOP side, Agriculture Commissioner James Comer and Second District Congressman Brett Guthrie have often been mentioned as possible candidates.

Jack Conway and 13 attorneys general are supporting the Protecting Financial Aid for Students and Taxpayers Act sponsored by Sen. Kay R. Hagan (D-NC) and Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA).

The bill restricts colleges and universities from using federal financial aid for recruitment, advertising, and marketing purposes.

"I support higher education and students who seek a degree to create a better life for their families, but many times I see those dreams turn to nightmares when students fall prey to a fast sales pitch from a for-profit college with a questionable reputation," Conway said. "The students end up with tens of thousands of dollars in debt and no degree."

More than $55.5 million in relief has gone to hundreds of Kentucky homeowners in the national mortgage foreclosure settlement.

Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway said in a statement that a recent report from the independent settlement monitor also indicates that mortgage servicers were processing more than $2 million in additional claims for Kentucky borrowers, for a total of $57.5 million.

The statement said the 1,562 borrowers received an average of $35,534. The relief was provided by Ally/GMAC/Bank of America, Citi, Chase and Wells Fargo through Dec. 31.

Conway's office said the information provided by mortgage servicers hasn't been verified by the compliance monitor.

The suit filed this week in Franklin County Circuit Court in Frankfort accuses the company of violating the state's Consumer Protection Act. The suit seeks an injunction against the company and civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation.

GSK spokesman Kevin Colgan says the company acted properly in studying and marketing the drug.